Third victory for Cammas

At the conclusion of the Trophée Clairefontaine, the champion of champions race off La Grande Motte

Franck Cammas and his crew of Stève Ravussin and Tanguy Cariou, eventually claimed victory at the end of the ninth and last leg of this 20th Trophée Clairefontaine champion of champions race of La Grande Motte. It is Cammas' third Trophée Clairefontaine victory following on from his wins in 2000 and 2006. Michel Desjoyeaux finished second ahead of Yann Eliès and Spanish Olympic medallist Fernando Echavarri.

Raced for the first time in La Grande Motte Sailing Stadium over 10-13 September the 2009 Trophée Clairefontaine lived up to everybody's expectations. The show was great thanks to a summer sun, a Force 2-3 breeze, ideal for this kind of competition, and eight famous sailing stars. This nautical show was made for the champions invited, but also for the crowd who gathered in number on La Grande Motte's seawall.

Franck Cammas was a notch better than his competitors, even if Michel Desjoyeaux and Nicolas Charbonnier did their best to attack him as much as possible, either on the starting line or at roundings or even in pure straight line speed. So enraged was this sea battle that 470 Olympc medallist Nicolas Charbonnier capsized in the ninth and final regatta.

Franck Cammas won two races - the first 'Open Race' and the 'Run'. The rest of the
time he proved to be the most consistent at the front of the fleet. Michel Desjoyeaux also won two races: another 'Open Race' and a 'Run', but finished twice sixth and once
seventh, the double Vendee Globe winner having to satisfy himself with second place on the podium. Nicolas Charbonnier won two 'Runs', but capsizing in the last race cost him third overall in favour of Yann Eliès. Spaniard Fernando Echavarri also won two races, two 'Runs'. But he was too irregular the rest of the time to be a threat for the leaders, while Banque Populaire skipper Pascal Bidégorry suffered in the light weather conditions, throughout this 20th Trophée Clairefontaine. The slightly stronger breeze on the last 'Run' allowed him to show what he is really capable of and he won it.

Despite the time he is spending on catamarans this year in the iShares Cup and the D35s on Lake Geneva, seven time winner of the Trophée Clairefontaine, Loïck Peyron, never really got into the competition this time, only managing two second places as his best result. This was not helped but breaking his boat during a maneouvre in the final race. He finished this year with an uncharacteristic seventh place, ahead of Portimoa Global Ocean Race winner, Boris Herrmann.

Results:
1- Franck Cammas, 60 pts (1,2,4,2,1,4,4,6,3)
2- Michel Desjoyeaux, 53 pts (3,1,2,1,7,6,6,3,4)
3- Yann Eliès, 50 pts (5,7,6,4,2,5,2,2,2)
4- Fernando Echavarri (Esp.), 48 pts (7,3,8,7, 4,2,1,1,5)
5- Nicolas Charbonnier, 47 pts (2,5,1,3,8,1,5,5,DNF)
6- Pascal Bidégorry, 37 pts (4,4,5,6,6,8,8,4,1)
7- Loïck Peyron (Fra.), 28 pts (6,6,3,5,5, 3,7,DNS,DNS)
8- Boris Herrmann (All.), 24 pts (8,8,7,8,3,7,3,7,6).